THE BIG MATCHUP

Mark Scheifele vs Drew Doughty

The Jets’ top centre continues to be consistent with his production, chipping in eight goals and nine assists during the past 11 games to tie linemate Blake Wheeler for the lead in team scoring. Doughty does it all for the Kings, averaging a team-high 26:48 of ice time while excelling at both ends of the ice.

Keys to the game

Bounce-back on horizon?

The Jets had seemingly solved their second-period woes during the previous four games, outscoring opponents 10-1, to trim their goal differential to minus-3 in the middle stanza. But on Monday, the Predators took control of the game by scoring three times and allowing none, forcing the Jets to play with desperation during the third period. The Jets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped Monday, haven’t lost consecutive games in regulation since starting the season 0-2.

Tighten up the PK

The Jets moved near the middle of the pack on the penalty kill with a stretch that included killing off 15 of 16 penalties, but they allowed two goals on three opportunities during the second period against the Predators. The Kings feature the top penalty-killing unit in the NHL, so special teams could be a factor in this game.

Perreault heating up

In three games since returning from a leg injury that had him on the shelf for 12 games, Jets forward Mathieu Perreault has provided an offensive spark, producing four goals and five points. He’s long been known as someone that can help get guys around him going and the Jets currents have a few candidates they’d like to see a bit more offensive production from.

Keep tabs on Kopitar

After seeing a sharp decline in his play after signing a massive contract extension, Kings centre Anze Kopitar is on top of his game. With nine goals and 23 points in 21 games, Kopitar leads his team in scoring and he’s also leading his team in ice time (22:18).

As Quick as they come

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has quickly shown that when healthy, he’s back among the top puck-stoppers in the NHL. Quick, who missed a big chunk of last season with a knee injury, is 9-7-1 this season, with two shutouts, a 2.47 goals-against average and .926 save %.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.